How to use a bass run to connect chords

To make the switch from one chord to another more interesting, we can often connect the two chords with a bass run–often referred to simply as a run. When you use a run between chords, you move one step beyond basic chord playing and into a more sophisticated and interesting playing style.

What is a bass run?

On the guitar, a bass run is a series of consecutive notes that lead from one chord to the next. The bass run can be either ascending or descending and it typically contains two, three, or sometimes four evenly spaced notes played on the lower strings of the guitar to emulate a bass player’s part.

The bass run you choose between chords can have an interesting effect on the feel of your song. You have to be careful though, because if you overuse runs, they can lose their effect and stop sounding interesting to your listener.

Still, the bass run is a tried-and-true technique. It can help you take your playing to a different, more interesting place. Let’s take a look at how it works.

How does a bass run fit into your song?

There are several ways you can fit a bass run into your song between chords. In general, you must decide first how long the bass run will be. And then you need to decide which notes you want to use for the run.

Decide how long your bass run will be

You have several options for how long to make your bass run. You could make it two notes long. Or, you could try a longer three-note or even four-note bass run. In fact, technically, you could make the bass run as long as you want it to be. However, if you make it to long, it’ll start sounding less like a bass run and more like some sort of solo or lead line.

A typical two-note bass run in a song in 4/4 time might start on beat three of the last measure of the first chord. You would play one note on beat 3 of that measure, and the next note on beat 4. The bass run leads up (or down) to the root note of the next chord which you would play on beat 1 of the next measure.

If you want a longer run, start on beat 2 of the measure and play a three-note run.

You can also play faster bass runs. For instance, you could play a two-note run that doesn’t start until beat 4 of the measure. To do this you need to use eighth notes for your run. So, you’d play your two notes on the 4 and the 4-and of the measure.

Naturally, you can mix things up. Play a three-quarter-note bass run first. Then, the next time, use eighth notes. Or use just two notes instead of three.

You really have a lot of options for playing a bass run. You should experiment and become comfortable with many different types. This will help you keep your playing lively, unpredictable, and thus interesting.

Use diatonic notes for your bass run

The specific notes you’ll use for any bass run depends heavily upon the two chords you’re moving between. Naturally, you’ll use different note to move from G to C than you will to move from A to D.

So it makes sense to talk less about the specific notes and instead discuss the approach you’ll take to choosing those notes.

Two types of bass run are most common. First, you can create a run that’s based off of the diatonic notes from the scale you’re playing in. For instance, if your song is in the key of C, then a run that uses only diatonic notes would have any of the notes from the C scale.

For example, say you want to move from a G7 to a C. In the key of C this is a common chord progression. It moves from the dominant 7th of the V chord back to the I chord. In this case, your note choice is easy because only two diatonic notes from the key of C lie between these two chords: the notes A and B.

So, if you’re playing a two-note run, you’ll strum the G7 for two beats. Then play the open A string on the third beat for your A note and the B at fret 2 of the A string on the fourth beat. This leads you comfortably back to the note C at fret 3 of the A string, which is the root note of the next chord. This is a super-common bass run that you’ll likely use often.

Use chromatic notes for your bass run

Another popular method for assembling a bass run draws notes from the chromatic scale rather than to use diatonic notes from the major scale. This type of bass run moves one half step at a time from one chord to the next.

Let’s say we want to create a bass run to move us from the C chord we played above, back down to that G7. But we want a chromatic run instead of a diatonic one. And further, say we want a four-note bass run instead of two.

In this case, you can use the four chromatic notes between C and G moving down the scale. Those notes are B, A#, A, and G#.

Because you have four notes–and assuming they are all quarter notes–you need a full measure to make the bass run. So, instead of strumming the C chord on the last measure, play a B on the first beat, and then A#, A, and G# on the next three beats. Land on the root note G of the G7 chord on beat one of the next measure. Note that the B, A#, and A notes are all played on the A string (typically) while the G# and the G notes are on the Low E string.

Playing notes between the chords

You can see that playing a run from one chord to the next is really just another form of playing notes between chords. However, bass runs might be considered more structured than simply playing notes from the scale. They sound less like lead guitar work, and more like bass or bass guitar parts.

Still, technically, all you’re doing is creating space between two chords and filling it with consecutive notes that create a run.

When should you use bass runs?

Bass runs show up and are appropriate in virtually any and every genre of music. They are especially common in folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and other roots-related genres.

But again, you can fit them into almost any song regardless of the genre you’re playing. Their flexibility shows how important the technique is and why you should really master it if you want to make your playing more interesting.

Remember to be careful not to overuse the bass run though. Just as with anything on guitar, if you do it so much that it become predictable, then it loses its effect. Over using this device can even make your playing sound less sophisticated. People will recognize–maybe even on an unconscious level–that you’re over relying on the bass run.

So make sure you mix it up. Use it now and then. Change the number of notes you use in each run. Make some of your runs diatonic and others chromatic. Keep your listener guessing!

And sometimes…leave the bass run out. Surprise your listener with the lack of the bass run instead. Adding the bass run technique to your playing makes it cool to leave it out now and then!

What about switching between chords that are not next to each other?

In the examples we discussed here, only a few notes separate the chords we were moving between. But wonder if things are not that neat? What if the chords have more notes between them?

For instance, say you’re moving from a C chord to an E chord. That’s sort of an unusual chord change because the chord E is out of key for song in C major. Still, it’s not an unheard of change. Sometimes breaking out of the key creates a ton of interest.

Assuming you’re going to create a descending run from the C note at fret 3 of the A string to the open Low E string, you have a spread of seven notes. A seven-note bass run would probably seem awkward and a bit overkill, so how do you handle this?

Just decide how many notes you want to use in your bass run and then choose the last notes leading to the next chord. For instance in our C to E progression, let’s say you want a three-note chromatic run.

Strum the C chord for one beat, then–on the Low E string–play the notes G, F#, and F on the next three beats. Land on the root note of the E chord on beat 1 of the next measure. Even though you skipped a bunch of possible notes between the two chords, the bass run still sounds great.

The same technique works with an ascending run. Say you’re moving from the E back to C. You decide you want a three-note diatonic run. On the last measure of the E chord, strum the chord for beat one. Then play the notes, G, A, and B on the next three beats. Land on the C root note on the first beat of the next measure.

Get creative with your bass runs

Now that you know the concepts, try some different things. Mix it up. Play one style the first time and another style the next. Or, why not mix it up right inside the same bass run?

For instance, when you move from that E to the C, try a hybrid four-note bass run. On the first two beats play the notes G and A. That’s the start of a diatonic run. But on the last two beats play the notes A# and B. That’s chromatic.

So you’ve mixed a diatonic run with a chromatic run. Do you like the way it sounds? Then use is again. If you don’t, then you’ve learned something valuable about what to avoid in your playing.

But honestly, almost anything goes and has the potential to sound very cool. So don’t be shy about experiments!

Conclusion

Bass runs are a series of consecutive notes that lead from one chord into the next. These can be either diatonic notes or chromatic. You can choose the number of notes to use in a bass run, but typically it will be two, three, or four. Anything more than that begins to sound less like a bass run and more like a lead line of sorts.

Bass runs are really just a slightly more structured way of playing notes between chords. They make your playing sound more interesting and sophisticated. You can use them in virtually any genre of music, but especially roots-based genres like folk, country, and blues.

Once you understand the concept and how to incorporate these into your playing, you can get creative and mix things up. Just don’t over use them. If you play a bass run between every set of chords in your song, they’ll lose their effectiveness and actually could detract from your song.